Joe Shively, Editor
Among us as music educators, there are a number of ideas about the direction of our field. There are those who are firmly grounded in the traditions of the profession and there are those who are purpose- ful agents for change. The rhetoric of our profes- sion seems to center on maintaining or replacing traditional music education. I think this is what limits the success of both. There is much in our tra- ditional practice that merits our continuing support, but there is also the need to apply our understand- ing of learning processes and the desire for more comprehensive approaches in these settings. That said, music education as it is currently conceived does not serve all students in schools. We must strive to offer more and not be threatened by the idea that some students may elect to explore new offerings. Put simply—the future of music educa- tion is not either or. It is a range of rich offerings that will engage all students.
Toward this future, we cannot have enough ideas for our consideration. As you read each article, I ask that you think critically about how the ideas resonate with you. Whether you agree or disagree, whether you think the subject matter applies to you, think about how you can grow as a professional music educator.
There is a range of articles in this issue. The his- toric reprint in this issue, “High School General Music—What’s Holding Us Back?,” is from the April 1961 issue of the Michigan Music Educa- tor. In it, Charles McDermid, editor of the journal at that time and long time member of the music education staff at Michigan State University, chal- lenges music educators to meet the call for general music at the secondary level. Having been born one year after the publication of this article, I am pain- fully aware of the period of time that has passed since. Nonetheless, we appear to have made limited progress in this area. Of course, we can point to examples of outstanding work being done at the secondary level—work that extends music educa- tion beyond the large ensemble paradigm. In this, think about how those working at the secondary level might expand offerings to reach more stu- dents. I realize this flies in the face of the move to cut music and the other arts. However, if not now, when? In a current article, Rick Dammers also asks us to think about how to reach the broader popula- tion.
We know the progress in our profession requires ongoing professional development on the part of music educators. Reading the stories of other music educators is important to our professional growth. This issue includes Karen Salvador, Lisa DuPrey, Gretchen Coles, and Rachel Solgat describing a professional development group in Flint. In “It Take s Village to Raise a Band,” Christine Dodge tells the story of her program at Capac Jr-Sr High School. She provides very practical advice about how to make the most of resources in small school settings. However, these ideas are applicable for schools of many sizes.
We find more stories from far and near. “A Story of Advocacy” The Snoqualmie Valley School District Music Coalition” comes from the state of Washing- ton, but should resonate will us all. I don’t need to tell you about the importance of advocacy, but we all need examples of how to go about this work. There are many resources for advocacy informa- tion, but we don’t always know how to apply them to our situation. This is an example of how to do advocacy. From Ann Arbor, Yael Rothfeld de- scribes composition in her elementary classroom. I often imagine what it would have been like to have creative opportunities like this when I was in elementary school. Other articles in this issue remind us that the continuing development of our musicianship is central to our growth as music edu- cators. Thomas McCauley and Richard Disharoon give much to think about in making our ensemble rehearsals more musical.
The educational and political landscape upon which our profession is positioned presents an increasing number of challenges. To meet these challenges, we need everyone involved in meaningful profes- sional discussion. We need the range of ideas that comes from everyone’s involvement. There is unity in a diversity of ideas. The diversity of ideas in our profession comes from people who are committed a passionate about what they do. Regardless of how one identifies oneself—by musical specialization, methodological orientation, or philosophical foun- dation—we are all music educators. We believe in the power of music education to transform the lives of all of our students. We believe music is a critical component of the comprehensive education that each student deserves. We should seek to make our own classrooms the very model of music educa- tion. This is something that comes from reflective professional practice and a desire to grow as pro- fessionals—the very goal of this journal.
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From the Editor
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